Fullmetal Alchemist Roleplay?

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:11 pm

Come to think about it the idea i had isn't particularly good... it limits my role playing style quite immensely.

So when does this show get on the road? :)

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:29 pm

Colonel_Masters wrote:Come to think about it the idea i had isn't particularly good... it limits my role playing style quite immensely.

So when does this show get on the road? :)

Well, how exactly would we roleplay Amestris as a democracy? I'm horrible at understanding forms of government, since I despise learning about it. XD

Anyways, I think we'll discuss some ideas here and once we think we've got a good plot, I'll create the roleplay. :3

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:08 pm

Well my impression was that the Fuhrer in the series was the head of state and the defacto head of government. In a democratic Amestris a Fuhrer would fill in only the position of head of state and would probably be X military in order to keep the status Quo between the civil government and the military.

My impression was that Amestris has a multi party system which means all or most of the votes in an election are counted. In countries like England and the US there is a high percentage which is required in order to get into the parliament or senate, if a party is unable to gain the right percentage the votes it got won't count. In a multi party system the percentage is greatly lowered and sometimes minimal and this creates a situation in which many parties may be elected into the parliament however such governments normally must maintain a coalition in order to remain in power, in my country of Israel every government we have had to date was a coalition of a few or many parties normally joining each other due to similarities of ideology (right or left) both systems are equally corrupt and both systems have their drawbacks and strengths.

A failing democracy is one which is unable to form a government or even a stable temporary government. It is unable to deal with problems of the nation and people loss faith with it and once the things needed for life such as food, work and entertainment are gone a situation can easily grow into rioting and even into civil war. In a state such such as Amestris i imagine the military would step in if something like that happened however that could simply lead to and even more horrendous civil war. The military may be unable to intervene due to an external war or the fear that if the army gets involved enemy nations may also do so.

I think it could be a nice setting for the RP, the political instability may arise from:
economic problems such as the wall street crash for example or just incompetence of the administration, a defeat in a war which leads to discontent, loss of territory, loss of life and a high cost in compensation to the victor, the rise of extreme ideologies such as Communism or Nazism or the rise of liberalism against a conservative democracy which is ether socially/class unequal or not a real democracy, a great political scandal which causes people to doubt the integrity and effectiveness of their government, acts of crime and terrorism or international dissent caused by war or one of the other possibilities i suggested, government policy; for example in my country due to the security risk a great parentage of our budget goes into the military which has along with our current capitalist administration's plan to kill the welfare state made the cost of living in the country quite high and the budget of our education system quite low, this has led to a lot of discontent all over the country and many have gone out on the streets to protest... one or two even burned themselves to death in protest of the governments policy... i am serious.

there are quite a few other options but that's what i can think about at the moment.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:45 pm

Hm, I believe I followed all of what you said relatively well.

What we could do have everything be working out well for the government of Amestris, but as the roleplay goes on maybe something could happen that will make the government collapse and have the military take over again.

I don't want people to feel confused with the fact that Amestris is now a democracy, however, because most fans are used to knowing how the military runs Amestris.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:06 pm

Anyone else out there?

~Living-Dead Doll~ · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **~Living-Dead Doll~** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:10 pm

I'm still here, I have been fallowing along :)

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:18 pm

Oh, okay.
So, do you have anything to add to what we've discussed so far?

~Living-Dead Doll~ · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **~Living-Dead Doll~** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:28 pm

lol honestly, no. I think yall are doing a good job of figuring the politics out. I was never good with things like that. Sorry

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:42 pm

I'm not very good at understanding politics, but I try my best to comprehend everything. XD

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:55 pm

Might be a bit late to pipe up with interest, but I am!

I believe someone mentioned Amestris going to war with Drachma earlier? That conflict could've begun very shortly (within a few years or so) of the closing events of cannon, or maybe Amestris began to work towards democracy and 10 or 12 years later (when our characters were very young) the conflict with Drachma began and the majority of that progress was lost. Plunging into war would probably give people a lot of reasons to cling to a military state. Even those like Roy and Hawkeye might be torn between giving the military the resources it needs to defend Amestris (it couldn't look good not to do so at such a time), and giving power to its people.

If we go that route, maybe we could have our next-gens be participants in a wartime draft too? I'd love to get into the trenches... I like the terroist idea as well, and not just because I already have an OC that would work for that. As Colonel Masters said, they could arise from extreme factions in Amestris, and Ishval could still be a factor as well. Even with their country still being rebuilt, they would have to take some position in a war between two such close countries. Some may want to support Amestris, as they are working to help restore Ishval in the present (though that may have ended due to the financial costs of fighting Drachma), while others may not be so forgiving.

Oh, and perhaps we should set things more than 16 years into the future, maybe twenty or tweny-five? Everyone was still pretty busy by the end of the series (are we trying to hold off on spoilers? If so, spoilers.), what with Ed and Al leaving Winry to go to opposite sides of the Earth and Roy and Hawkeye running a country. That way the characters would've had time to settle in, and we can play characters slightly older than sixteen.

I also like the idea of avoiding botched human transmutation, must restore my body, as a driving force for our characters (not that I don't see the appeal, or have ideas for it myself), since it seems incredibly unlikely that someone so closely related to Ed and Al would think that's a good idea (though they may not be related to them, or that may simply not be something you tell your kids about) and avoiding humunculi in exchange for a more human enemy. I'm sure alchemy is capable of innumberable other atrocities, and people can be bad enough on their own.

Erm... I don't mean to come off in any certainw way, just thinking aloud!

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:39 pm

Those are all very good ideas, Elizabeth!

We will definitely have some kind of war go on in the roleplay, and avoiding the whole human transmutation concept would be wise since that was mainly what Fullmetal Alchemist was about.

I was thinking this roleplay could focus more on the next generation of heroes and enemies, but all the same we could include some already-existing characters.

I currently have an idea of a main antagonist, and other people could create characters to work alongside this enemy. The antagonist could be an alchemist craving power and war among the countries. This alchemist would find a way that he could create a philosopher's stone even more powerful than one created through sacrificing human lives. To create this philosopher's stone he would take away an alchemist's abilities of alchemy, and he would store the stolen alchemy in a philosopher's stone.

How does that sound? I could really use some feedback.

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:32 pm

MAJOR MANGA AND BROTHERHOOD SPOILER IN THIS POST!

You know, that could really work. I mean, clearly it's possible to remove an alchemist's abilities while leaving them alive in the FMA universe, because Edward traded his gateway, which grants those abilities, to the Truth/himself and came out alive. Having the alchemist pursue the creation of an even more powerful Philosopher's Stone through the use of this knowledge may even force a new moral quandry on our characters: what is more valueable, the mind or the soul?

Perhaps this alchemist could be a leading force within Drachma? I don't recall if Drachma is know to have control of alchemy, or their own form of it like Xing's Retanjitsu, but perhaps they are more similar to Ishval in that they fear and loath its users. They may lean more on traditional technology themselves, and be formidable in that area, while viewing the war as a chance to gain the power and resources of Amestris while also "liberating" them from the "dark ages of alchemy". Again, it would draw the question, what is more valueable, the mind (Drachma's precise machinary and advanced technology) or the soul (the inherent power of an alchemist). Of course, these realms may overlap--Amestris's alchemists are also scientists and rely heavily on study and a Drachma's scientists may hold a deep love or inherent talent for advancement--but it's could be something for out characters to think about.

I have an Ishvalan character in mind whose interests I think could fall very much in line with those of your antagonist, though a bit of philosophical difference can only lead to conflict! I think it's possible that the act of removing an alchemist's powers could be viewed by many of her kind as the work of Ishvala, which might attract those still impacted by the Civil War to your antagonist's cause.

Oh, and another thing. I think we need to decide which official universe we are operating in, because many character's fates seem to differ drastically between each and some don't even exist. I mean, in the original anime, Father and Ed and Al's actual father are the same person and I don't think Drachma is mentioned at all. Personally, I would opt for the Brotherhood/Manga universe for the most complete cast and story line... but I'm somewhat biased.

El_Gringo · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **El_Gringo** on Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:15 pm

I'm still here, I think I mentioned it, but I'm on vacation in Canada right now. So I'm not exactly chomping at the bit for internet access, I'm enjoying myself in another country.

Starting the 12th I'm back in the United States but still on vacation until the 18th. I am here and potentially interested, but I don't have the time to jump into concept brainstorming. Well, I do have the time, but I'm an internet addict and I'm trying to stay away from it as much as possible on this vacation.

Operating in the Brotherhood story is the only way to go in my opinion.

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:23 am

Another note on the idea of a wartime draft...

Though there are other routes we could go for more of a sandbox feel, I think this would be a particuarly effective way to start things off becasue, while many of the pre-existing characters would be in positions of authority within the military (and perhaps Winry would report to the front line as a automail technician and doctor, as her parents did) it would place our next generation of characters on the Amestris side on a somewhat equal playing field. While they might have some choice over whether they serve as a nurse, soldier, or in some other capacity, everyone would have a purpose and everyone would have to be on the front lines. If that's something their character wouldn't choose for themself, then that's just a source of conflict built right in. The military chain of authority above them would also make it easier to prevent people from getting lost in the plot, as the orders of a superior officer, a battle, or the movement of troops could pull people out of corners and keep things moving. Your antagonist might server a similar purpose on his/her side, issuing orders for cronies to react to in order to keep the story moving. Of course, people could run off to Xing or become draft-dodgers as called for, but having an initial source of structure within the roleplay may help characters to better develope and goals to be established prior to such events.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:17 am

Those are very good ideas Elizabeth! Having my evil alchemist character leading a force within Drachma would work nicely, since Drachma is the main rival against Amestris.

Oh, and alright El_Gringo, I hope you have a good remaining vacation!

Right now I'm thinking that it would be best if one of you guys willing to join this roleplay would create the roleplay, since I have no experience in creating a roleplay like this. I'm really only good at discussing possible ideas for roleplays.

Elizabeth ArStrange · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Elizabeth ArStrange** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:25 am

I'm more than willing, though I do have a job and several other things I am currently committed to (and I don't want to rip this out from beneath the feet of anyone else who would be interested) so if anyone would like to pair up with me?

If I were to make the roleplay, I would want to put some sort of limit on the number of characters, however, because having too many could easily get confusing. Maybe... 12 absolute tops, approximately 5 per side (and possibly 2 initially more "neutral" characters), 1-3 per person depending on the quality of characters submitted and the number of people who join? I mean, there's always room for NPCs, and cannon characters that no one specifically claims could be played as needed (or by GMs), but I think those sort of limits could go a long way toward ensuring quality of characterization.

Also, because I think our current method of discussion is the best way to run this thing, those involved would be expected to continue to contribue to the direction of the roleplay. Ideally (in my opinion), there would be a beginning (in which everyone gets their bearings), middle (by the end of which, the majority of characters are at their lowest point, and one or two may even be dead), and end to it (at which point Drachma or Amestris has conquered its enemy, or another conclusion has been reached). There could be a section of the OOC in which we can all suggest future pivotal events with which to propel our characters to those points, a decide which route we would prefer to go as a group. This way, it's more of a collaborative story than a free for all of inconquerable, hormonal characters. To further organize this, rather than using the locations tab of the roleplay to denote specific locations, we might also split the roleplay up by sections of time. Everything that happens in the first day would be in one "Place", then an event is triggered, we skip ahead in time a bit, and we lock down the old location and create a new "Place".

Not certain I explained all of that very clearly, but they're all just ideas, I'm not trying to force anything on anyone. My main point, really, is that I would like for this to continue to be a collaborative thing, and that those involved would need to commit not just to playing a character, but to contributing to the over all story.

Edit: This may be going waaay to far, but having read a post by Alias, here, I might also be interested in applying a 1024 character limit to our roleplay. Not as an excuse to for thin writing, but as a tool to encourage more frequent posting without exhausting outselves and relieving us of the pressure to produce walls of text on command. We're all busy people, I assume, and knowing that we can pop in and pop out to post (and all the while having the challenge of creating something awesome in such a small amount of text) I think could be a real boost to morale and post quality. Again, just an idea, but I think it's worth a try!

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:25 pm

Well If we wanted characters to start at the front lines we could have a world war 1 like situation...

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:22 pm

Thanks Elizabeth, I'd really appreciate it if you would be able to create the roleplay. Also, all of your ideas sound great.

On another note, I don't know if we want the roleplay to be totally based on war, because battling constantly can get fairly boring. I think we'll need to come up with a variety of different events that could take place in the roleplay.

And I know I probably sound stupid asking this, but are NPC's and cannon characters? (Sorry, I only got into Anime a bit earlier this year, so I'm unaware of the different words referring to Anime/manga related things.)

Colonel_Masters · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Colonel_Masters** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:55 pm

NPC's are none playable characters which means they do not belong to any player and are mostly used by the DM however players make their own NPC's when they need them.

Canon is what is considered to be part of the story line of a franchise such as full metal alchemist; what posters mean by using this word is to describe characters from the series itself.

any characters we make who where not in the series are none canon since they are not from the program itself.

So what was meant was that characters in the series be NPC's; for example a players none cannon character may meet with Edward who is a cannon nPC, there can also be none cannon NPC's and maybe cannon characters played by the players however i think that would not be a particularly good idea.

I haven't got a clue why the word Cannon is used but it is used in all franchise not only anime, for example Bethesda (Video games company) announced that fallout tactics and brotherhood of steel would not be considered a part of the fallout cannon which means they are not part of the official story line as decided upon by the copyright holder.

A war doesn't mean that we play the Roleplay in the trenches; it could be a roleplay in central city where the military have assumed marshal law under the pretense of "temporary measures to restore law and order" however the truth is that a powerful general who has achieved great fame and fortune in both military, politics and inheritance seeks to take over the country and become king.

He then uses the war as a means by which to arrest or eliminate any who pose a threat to him and also is responsible for prolonging the war in order to keep the rest of the military busy while he and his loyal soldiers come closer to their goal every day.

At the same time there might be a number of alchemists who are up to something nasty...

basically treason trials in central city are up by 1000% and the death penalty has become rather popular.

SweetInsanity · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SweetInsanity** on Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:01 pm

Alright thanks for explaining everything, I think I get it now.

Anyways, those are very good ideas.

Fullmetal Alchemist Roleplay?

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